Summary

Alain, the minister of gambling, and Dea, a weaver, happen to meet on a train caught in a tunnel collapse in the story “The Ministry of Restraint.” They spend the night together. The two happen to meet three more times during the course of their lives, each time about ten years apart. They admire one another and try to look into the eyes of each other during each meeting. Alain remained the minister of gambling, while Dea became a famous weaver.

Later, Dea made a woven sculpture of a man and woman embracing. She sold it to a museum. As her husband aged, Dea got her pharmacy degree so she could help him in his store. One day when Dea’s husband was upstairs, sick, Alain visited the pharmacy. Dea could tell he was dying. She promised him her next lifetime...